We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
On June 11, the Harlem Airmen Memorial Committee was awarded with a medal and certificate from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) for Excellence in Historic Preservation. Four members of the NSDAR Black Eagle–Assinniboine Chapter were on hand on Sunday to present the award to Harlem's Acting Mayor Rod Donahue and to Co-Committee Chairs Rod Becker and Darwin Zellmer. At the Award Ceremony, attended by approximately 45 people, a letter honoring the group was also read.
The award will be placed on display at Harlem City Hall in order to preserve this moment of history, according to Zellmer. In addition to the award, several people received certificates from the NSDAR for their role in building and preserving the history of the service of the airmen who lost their lives nine miles north of Harlem when two C-141B Starlifter Cargo Planes collided during a low level refueling exercise on November 30, 1992.
The crowd in attendance for the Award Ceremony came from communities across Montana, representing Great Falls, Black Eagle, Big Sandy, Havre, Chinook, Harlem, Billings, Miles City, Malta, and Poplar. Those receiving certificates fell into various categories. They included original/organizing committee members, survivors of deceased committee members, current committee members, people who have adopted stones, and other instrumental members such as contractors, first responders, or donors of materials.
Termed "a labor of love" by Zellmer, three Airmen Memorials were built by volunteers with no government funding, only private donations and materials. Two of the memorials are located just off US Highway 2 near Harlem in Centennial Park, and another resides near the crash site north of Harlem. All three Memorials are listed in the Historical Marker Database.
The inscription on the Central Monument in Centennial Park reads: "Though the thirteen who gave their lives in service to their country are mourned deeply, the community of Harlem and its surrounding area were united in the outpouring of love and generosity to those who came to bring them home with dignity. The question we always ask is 'Why'? We don't have the answer, but we worship the One who does."
Thirteen rocks surround the Central Monument, and each is inscribed with the name of one of the airmen lost. Prior to their deaths, the thirteen crew members were stationed at McChord Air Force Base in Pierce County, Washington. A plaque memorializing each airmen is also affixed to a bridge that spans the irrigation ditch on the park's west edge.
Photo albums, scrapbooks filled with memorabilia from years gone by, and collected stories recounting the incident as well as the project's development were recently on display at the Blaine County Museum (BCM) in Chinook. Through May, these books played a role in an exhibit entitled "High Flight: Remembering the C-141 Collision of 1992" featured at the museum. Another set has a permanent home at the Harlem Public Library. Zellmer imparted news that BCM Director Samantha French has plans for these books to be digitalized for archival use and in order to preserve area history.
According to NSDAR member Vicki Selin, "this act of compassion" was brought to her attention by a veteran who had seen a video story on KRTV about Harlem's historic preservation project with the Airmen Memorials. "He shared it with me, and I presented it to our membership who unanimously approved the award designation," Selin stated.
In addition to serving as the State Historical Preservation Chairman, Selin is a Vice Regent for the DAR, which is a women's service organization dedicated to promoting historic preservation, education, and patriotism.
"Honoring the Harlem Airmen Memorial Committee for their memorial project was under my purview, so I got the ball rolling," Selin stated. "The Excellence in Historic Preservation Award is given to a group or individual who has done something to preserve local history. With their project, the Harlem Airmen Memorial Committee addresses our mission on all three points because they are not only preserving history but promoting patriotism and providing education. Their feelings of compassion for the service men and their families is so obvious in their work in building the first Memorial and then maintaining it for 30 years while also building a second memorial to further demonstrate their devotion."
A few years ago when activities had stalled somewhat, the Committee considered closing out its accounts, but memorial money slowly began to trickle in, and occasionally a benefactor will come along with a more sizable donation. For example, Zellmer recently encountered a visitor from Idaho at Centennial Park who was so grateful for the Airmen Memorial that he donated 48 flags to the park. Robert Shay is the Commander of Pacific Northwest Post 686, the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., which is one of the oldest active veterans' organizations, having been established in 1896. Those flags arrived on Friday, June 15.
With Centennial Park's required maintenance and the attention of tourists, it is clear that this project is ongoing. Zellmer reported that the Committee continues to receive letters of appreciation from family members.
Zellmer wishes to extend a personal thanks to the entire community of Harlem for their support of the Airmen Memorial Project, saying: "To everyone who steps forward, volunteers, or otherwise gives freely of themselves, thank you."
